ELDAN and volunteers
Since its inception ELDAN has a good track record of working with volunteers. So far we have worked with volunteers coming from different parts of the world, as far a field as the US, Canada, England, Scotland, and the Netherlands. These volunteers help teaching English to our students and provide language and pedagogic trainings to teachers and interested administrative staff. They have also donated books and some other educational materials to our school. The contribution of these volunteers is highly appreciated by ELDAN students, parents and the community at large. It is our commitment to continue working with volunteers. If you want to serve as a volunteer at ELDAN you are highly encouraged to contact the principal. The following is a brief profile of past and current volunteers.
Lidy and Fred Boessenkool
Lidy is a Dutch national who has worked as volunteer in Ethiopia. She and her husband Fred are friends of ELDAN. Lidy taught English and provided training for teachers on how to help students who lack focus in their learning. She is an expert in issues related to autistic children and the ELDAN community is fortunate to benefit from her expertise. Her husband Fred also conducted a one-day workshop to our staff on active learning. Lidy and her husband Fred left Jimma since June, 2004 but still staying in touch. Just before their departure, 2nd and 3rd graders of ELDAN interviewed Lidy. This interview has appeared in our 2003/04 year book.
Hilary Brockway
Hilary Brockway is a Scottish national. She and her husband have worked in Ethiopia/Jimma as volunteers from September 2002 to July 2004. During her stay in Jimma, Hilary taught English language to ELDAN students. Our teachers have learnt a lot from her attractive methodology. Hilary helped ELDAN in training teachers; producing lessons/teaching aids. She also donated ELDAN a number of materials which are valuable to our school. Hilary and her husband Paul left Jimma since July/2004 but still they have contact to ELDAN. Our students always appreciate the contribution of Hilary Brockway and love her. They interviewed her and the interview text has appeared in our 2002/2003 year book.
Daniel C.Mains
Daniel C.Mains is a social anthropologist from the USA. Daniel taught English at ELDAN between 2003 and 2004 while he was in town for his fieldwork related to his dissertation research. He also helped establishing a link between our school and an elementary school in USA. This created a good opportunity to our students to communicate with students from another country through exchanging letters, drawings, and pictures. His wife, Allis also visited our school and taught our students English during her stay in Jimma.
Norman & Christian
Norman and Christian are volunteer couple from England. They worked here in Ethiopia/Jimma when ELDAN was a concept. They gave our school a number of children’s books.
Heather & Clare
They are volunteer friends from Canada and England. During their stay in Jimma they have participated as resource persons in the staff development workshop. Moreover it is these two friends who introduced Hilary Brockway to ELDAN.
Shirley
Shirley is a Canadian volunteer worked in Jimma-Ethiopia in the year 2000/2001. Shirley has donated a number of children’s books to our school.
Enewnegn /Babu/ Tilahun
Babu is an Ethiopian living in Germany. He is the first person to take part in ELDAN’s initiative to establish a scholarship fund for students from needy families. Currently he is covering annual school fees for two students.
Vivian Knol
Vivian Knol is a Dutch volunteer, who served in Ethiopia for two years. While she was in Jimma, Vivian was a frequent visitor to our school. She donated books and children game /playing/ toads to our students. Moreover, Vivian, her family members & friends have sponsored eight needy children, supported our small library, and in the summer of 2006/07, together with Lidy & Fred, facilitated a working visit to the Netherlands to our school principal the late Mr. Elias Beyene and his widow Kidist.
Jessie Hawthorn & Eliot
Mr Eliott (a.k.a Elias in Ethiopia) is an American volunteer who volunteered in our school during the 2005/06 academic year. He taught English. His teaching methodology was very interesting that not only students but also teachers benefited from his talent. Elias, together with Jessie (his wife) donated lots of children’s books to our school. In addition, Jessie organized a very helpful workshop for ELDAN English teachers and currently, she and Eliot are also sponsoring a child.
Miss Lucia
Miss Lucia is a Spanish volunteer. She has taught English in our school for a few weeks. As she was teaching /training/ college teachers in the higher Diploma program, our school has benefited from her expertise. Her teaching methodology was quite attractive. Our teachers have learnt a lot from her methodology and have applied it on their own classes.
Maris Skujevskis
Maris is a Latvian national who volunteered in our school for six weeks in the fall of 2007.
Finally, our heartfelt thanks are due to Dilneseaw Asrat who developed this web site. The contributions of Bizuayehu Desta, Ali Osman, Yirgalem, Tadesse Alemu, Mulugeta Haile, Dr. Solomon Worku, W/o Asnaketch, Abdulkerim (Pele) Abbagero, Samuel Asnake, Mary Alem Seifu, Eshete Afework and many others whose names are not included here are also duly acknowledged.
